Paternal Progress Report - Week of Mar 02-Mar 07
Looking back to move forward—our Saturday morning reflection.
Wisdom of the Week
My favorite excerpt from this week’s run of entries.
For now, this is how he learns. The world is still new to him, full of gaps he’s trying to fill, like an infinite jigsaw puzzle with only a few pieces in his hands. We can meet that curiosity with impatience, or we can meet it with presence. The questions will come either way—the only thing in our control is how we respond.
— Love the Chaos, or Fight It. Guess Which One Works? (Mar. 5)
The Recap
The three newsletters from the past week. This week’s theme was “Raising My Son.”
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
What I’ve Been Reading
A rundown of all of the books and articles I enjoyed this week.
Books
How To Think Like A Roman Emperor
By Donald Robertson
From Bookshop.org:
Combining remarkable stories from Marcus’s life with insights from modern psychology and the enduring wisdom of his philosophy, How to Think Like a Roman Emperor puts a human face on Stoicism and offers a timeless and essential guide to handling the ethical and psychological challenges we face today.
From Derek:
This is a great book to contextualize Marcus Aurelius’ life as a companion to Meditations. I’ve been reading bits of it this week in preparation for next week’s slate of newsletters.
Discipline is Destiny
by Ryan Holiday
From Bookshop.org:
At the heart of Stoicism are four simple virtues: courage, temperance, justice, and wisdom. Everything else, the Stoics believed, flows from them. Discipline is Destiny will guide readers down the path to self-mastery, upon which all the other virtues depend. Discipline is predictive. You cannot succeed without it. And if you lose it, you cannot help but bring yourself failure and unhappiness.
From Derek:
This book is my favorite so far from Holiday’s Virtues series. I’ve been reading it this week as a refresher on the importance of discipline—something I often struggle with.
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
by Charlie Mackesy
From Bookshop.org:
Charlie Mackesy offers inspiration and hope in uncertain times in this beautiful book, following the tale of a curious boy, a greedy mole, a wary fox and a wise horse who find themselves together in sometimes difficult terrain, sharing their greatest fears and biggest discoveries about vulnerability, kindness, hope, friendship and love. The shared adventures and important conversations between the four friends are full of life lessons that have connected with readers of all ages.
From Derek:
This is a gorgeous, funny, and insightful book full of timeless wisdom fit for all ages. I’ve been reading it to my four-year-old, and it’s become one of his favorites in just a few nights of reading.
Articles
The Magic Phrase to Stop Kids From Asking Why 70 Million Times a Day
by Kelly Holmes
Happy You, Happy FamilyHow To Embrace Your Curious Kid’s Constant Questioning
by Paige Shiels
Nurtured First
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Paternal Progress participates in the Bookshop.org affiliate program. This means that when you purchase books through the links on this page, I may receive a small commission of 10 percent from each sale. This helps support the work I do at Paternal Progress, without any extra cost to you. I only recommend books I genuinely believe will benefit you and your family. Thank you for supporting my site and local bookstores!